A week is a long time for a change in the fortunes of a football club. This statement holds true for Mohammedan Sporting, one of India's oldest football clubs and the only football club with a pan-India support base.
The iconic club, which has been long forced to stay in the shadows of its illustrious city rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal because of lack of financial might, is looking to bridge that gap after tying up with a Delhi-based sports management company.
However, a formal announcement of that deal is yet to be made due to a CBI probe into an old sponsorship deal and opposition by some club officials related to selling 50 percent stake in the club.
The CBI probe pertains to the club's sponsorship deal with an organisation called Angel Group for the 2010-11 season. The investigating agency is seeking documents related to that deal and this is where the current club management finds itself in a sticky situation as they are having a hard time getting a hold of them.
An exasperated Wasim Akram, general secretary of Mohammedan Sporting Club, is almost at a loss of words to explain the situation he finds himself in. From the ecstacy of roping in an investor to grappling with the documents being demanded by the investigative agency, it has been a whirlwind past few days for the young official.
Speaking to Moneycontrol, Akram admitted the current situation is not ideal and he is trying his best to convince the Delhi-based company that the probe is related to an old case and something the current management has no role to play.
"The whole day, I have been forced to visit different departments and look for old documents. This probe has put us in a difficult position related to the impending deal with the investor, but we are still hopeful that the deal will go through," he told Moneycontrol.
Akram said he won't be able to reveal the name of the company as things are yet to be finalised.
The club is set to compete in the I-League Second Division, which will get underway on October 8.
With both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal set to play in the Indian Super League, the news of Mohammedan Sporting roping in an investor came in as a massive boost for Kolkata football, which has failed to keep pace with the rising commercial demands of the game.
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